Brooklyn Risotto Ball Rumble

I've been eating lunch at the recently opened Catania Cafe on Atlantic Avenue a lot lately. It's close to the Kings County Courthouse and has the benefit of being ultra-cheap (pretty much everything on the menu is under $10). Plus they specialize in hard-to find Sicilian food (if you're looking for more of the same, check out Joe's of Avenue U in Gravesend).

But I'll write about the rest of Catania Cafe's menu some other time (if you need some other dish recommendations now, check out this Chowhound thread). Today it's all about the risotto balls.

Here, the arancini sit like a fat teardrop among a bevy of fried Sicilian snacks and come filled with a chunky beef ragu laced with fontina cheese. It's slightly sweet crust marks a stark contrast to the savory interior. Unfortunately, the arancini tend to fall apart, making a fork almost necessary.

Staten Island Style: Rubirosa and Pier 76

Just over a year ago, a Staten Island specialty (complete with one of its most famous namesakes) was ferried to Manhattan in the form of Rubirosa. Setting up shop in Nolita, across the street from Torrisi Italian Specialties, together they've established a bastion of neo-classic Italian cuisine along the edge of the less-than-classics of Little Italy, just a block away.

Despite high expectations (especially for the pizza), I've yet to be disappointed with anything I've eaten on numerous lunchtime visits. 

A First Meal at Masten Lake

While looking for a small group dinner, Steve suggested Masten Lake, a new restaurant in Williamsburg featuring an Italian inflected menu by Chef Angelo Romano, formerly of Lupa and Roberta's. Entering the restaurant, previously a bar on Bedford Avenue, just south of the main drag, we found the room to be plain, but pleasant. Especially nice were the benches and groups of booths parallel to the long bar, providing comfort and privacy.

The menu is conveniently divided into "Cold," "Hot," "Pasta" and "Protein" sections for today's on-the-go diner. We ultimately elected to order every dish from each category except for the Cold, which, due to insurmountable differences in cuisine preference, we couldn't agree on a single dish. I hate hearts of palm, someone else doesn't like cucumbers. So it goes.

Let's break the meal down by menu section.

Hot

Zucchini with salmon roe, buttery breadcrumbs and a smear of ricotta was our introduction to Chef Romano's cuisine. Steve immediately pointed out the comparison with Roberta's in the plating, which definitely seems to be an influence, but portions were larger across the board, and this necessarily affected how they were plated. The zucchini evoked Italy, but with a common touch: salmon roe. Playing with textures-- the zucchini was crisp and accentuated by the breadcrumbs while the salmon roe burst in our mouths, all lubricated by the fresh, ultra creamy ricotta-- this dish was a promising start.

JBF LTD: Jon Shook, Vinnie Dotolo and Frank Castronovo, Frank Falcinelli

Known for their uniquely "meaty" approach to food, I was intrigued when the JBF LTD announced a series of meals featuring Los Angeles chefs Jon Shook and Vinnie Dotolo of Animal and Son of a Gun. But after I noticed they were scheduled to cook alongside the Franks of Frankie's Spuntino and Prime Meats, I was determined to get tickets. Having heard good things from a co-worker who attended an earlier meal with the Animal guys, I was looking forward to this collaboration.

Ai Fiori: Dream Team

The 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona ushered the term "dream team" into the American lexicon. Buoyed by the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, they easily went on to win the gold medal, crushing their opponents by an average of 44 points per game, and in so doing, set the bar of what an all-star team should achieve.

If the dream team has any culinary equivalent, one need not look any further than the all-star team Chef Michael White assembled at his newest restaurant, Ai Fiori which included the likes of: Executive Chef Chris Jeackle (Morimoto, Eleven Madison Park), Pastry Chef Robert Truitt (Corton), master mixologist Eben Freeman (wd~50, Tailor), beverage director Hristo Zisovski (Jean-Georges) and front of the house veteran John Paulus (Jean-Georges). Obviously impressed, many quickly tabbed Ai Fiori for instant success. But championships aren't won on paper, and after disappointing reviews for White's Osteria Morini, one couldn't help but question whether the chef had jumped the shark and spread himself too thin. Making matters worse was the fact that history wasn't on White's side. After all, Sifton had previously given SHO Shaun Hergatt, another Setai collaboration, a meager two star review. But being a fan of White's food it was only a matter of when, not if, MW and I would eventually visit.

Brunch Bets: Barbuto

I've wanted to eat at Jonathan Waxman's West Village restaurant Barbuto for quite some time. Problem was, I've never been able to get dinner reservations. Credited with introducing "California cuisine" to Manhattan from his time at the famous Chez Panisse, Waxman has become a celebrity chef in his own right, even making an appearance on Bravo TV's Top Chef Masters. Finally, my futility ended after a co-worker suggested I try brunch, when reservations are much easier to come by.

Scarpetta: The Importance of a Signature Dish

From falafal to french toast, certain dishes at restaurants become so popular that they eventually transcend just being food and become somewhat of a signature. Nowadays, while it seems that just about every restaurant has their own signature dish, only a handful of these actually manage to live up to all the hype. Still, everyone seems to agree-- positively I might add-- on one so-called signature dish: Scott Conant's spaghetti with tomato and basil. Staking one's reputation on something as ubiquitous as spaghetti means you better have the best damn version of this pasta to warrant both its effusive praise and $24 price tag. Though personal preferences and tastes will ultimately dictate whether you believe this dish to be as good as everyone says, rest assured, even the other (non-signature?) food at Scarpetta is delicious, and is worthy of a visit alone.

Convivio: Divorce is Messy, but So is Red Sauce...

All good things must eventually come to an end, or so they say. This adage was proven true, when, after months of speculation, the Altamarea Group released an official statement last week confirming that Chef Michael White and longtime partner, Chris Cannon were officially cutting ties. Then again, Cannon is no stranger to divorces from high-profile chefs, as one need only look back to 2007's messy split with Scott Conant. In fact, the news was a bit ironic, considering it was Cannon who selected White to replace the departing Conant at the former L'Impero restaurant, which was later reincarnated as Convivio. As per the details of the breakup, it was reported that White and new business partner, Ahmass Fakahany, will take Marea, Osteria Morini and the newly-opened, Ai Fiori, while Cannon will retain Alto and Convivio. As with any divorce, there are the children to consider, and in this case, White will bring aboard Alto's chef de cuisine, Gordon Finn, as well as Convivio's current chef de cuisine, Matt Adler, while pastry chef, Heather Bertinetti will continue to work with Cannon. So it seemed perfectly natural at the time of our reservation (pre-announcement), to wonder whether any of the speculated turmoil would compromise our experience at Convivio in the slightest.

Osteria Morini: Automatic for the People

I dare you to name me a chef who's had a more successful year than Michael White. 2010 has been kind to "Chef Bianco," seeing him not only walk away with a James Beard Award, but also collecting his fifth Michelin Star when Marea was awarded two stars. It was no surprise that Alto (two stars) and Convivio (one star) retained theirs. Additionally, Chef White is preparing to launch his upcoming project with the Setai, Ai Fiori, and revealed plans to expand into Hong Kong. Almost forgotten amidst all this hullabaloo was the opening of his latest restaurant, Osteria Morini, located in Soho.

Journey to Esca

My mom wanted good seafood. Naturally, I pushed for Marea. However, The DA wrote it up earlier in the year, and I had gone later in the Summer. To my mom, that meant it was off limits, as she wants me to have new content for the blog. Thus, I don't get to eat at Marea again, but everyone still wins. Esca was the next obvious choice (and somewhere we'd wanted to try for a while).

Before getting to the heart of the post, let me first apologize for the crappy cell phone camera pictures. But you get what you pay for (until someone is willing to buy me a camera and I decide that I'm comfortable taking photos in restaurants). However, to combat the lack of pretty pictures, I present the tenuously relevant video for "Separate Ways" by Journey, which was playing over the speakers when we first sat down (with Eighties greatest hits the rest of the night as well).



I sincerely hope that it's now stuck in your head (along with the mental image of Steve Perry "breakin' the chains" over and over again). Regardless, the food from Chef Dave Pasternack (see this New Yorker profile, which is a fantastic read) and owners Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich was much better than the music.

Brunch Bets: Locanda Verde

Since leaving his post as Chef de Cuisine at Cafè Boulud, Andrew Carmellini has done just fine for himself. After a stint at A Voce, where he earned a Michelin Star, he left once again, teaming up with Robert DeNiro to open Locanda Verde. Surprising no one, the restaurant was an instant success, quickly establishing itself as one of the best Italian restaurants not only in Tribeca, but in all of New York. But lost in the fray of Carmellini's (deserving) success is Locanda Verde's talented Pastry Chef, Karen DeMasco, whose masterful exploits are not just limited to post-dinner treats. In fact, one of the city's best brunches can be found here, combining Carmellini's skill of all things savory with DeMasco's knack for sweets.

"Pigging" Out at Maialino

Maialino, Danny Meyer's latest venture pays homage to the summers spent in Italy during his youth, focusing on Roman-inspired cuisine. Italian for, "little pig," Maialino was the nickname affectionately given to Meyer for is love of food, a precursor for his later career. But maialino, better known to many Americans as suckling pig, is more than just a cute nickname, as it plays a prominent role the restaurant's menu and stars as its signature off-menu item. Truth be told, this post is a a bit tardy as the restaurant has been open for quite some time, but don't blame me for not trying, dinner reservations are still highly coveted, often "relegating" many to a spectacular brunch. But with my family in town and having experienced a rather lackluster dinner at Artisanal the previous night, I was determined to give them a proper meal before sending them off.

Left Coast Vacation 2010: Day 2 - Domaine Chandon, Bottega Napa Valley and Chappellet Winery

After an incredible meal at The French Laundry, our second day started early (thank God for still being on Eastern Time). We dragged ourselves out of bed for a hot air balloon ride above the Napa Valley... or at least that was the original idea. But mother nature had plans, and a combination of blustering winds and fog resulted in a delayed departure from Healdsburg. When we finally got up in the air, the balloon ride was a zen-like experience as we hovered over 2,000 feet above ground. I only wish landing was as peaceful as flying. Persistent winds forced us to land in an open field far from major roads which meant we had to wait about a half hour to be picked up. All in all, the experience was certainly unique and one that I'd recommend doing once.

Roman's: A Meaty Affair

When Mark Firth and Andrew Tarlow, the brain trust behind Marlow & Sons and Diner, bid farewell to the beloved Bonita, there was great anticipation over what would occupy the now vacant space in Fort Greene. The suspense ended when they doors opened to Roman's, an Italian-inspired trattoria, that was a surprising, yet welcome addition to the neighborhood. Though the cuisine may have strayed from the new American food served at their other restaurants, they stayed true to their bread-and-butter at Roman's with rotating menus focusing on seasonal ingredients. But after the initial fanfare Roman's had been subject of some heated controversy. Patrons have largely been split into two camps: those that love the creative menu consisting of small Roman-inspired plates, and those that criticize the restaurant for skimpy portions and exorbitant prices. Being a fan of both Marlow & Sons and Diner, MW and I decided to investigate ourselves.

A Meeting of the Masters at Marea

Has any chef had more success during the tumultuous last two years than Michael White? During this time all he's managed to accomplish is winning a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant, collect his fourth Michelin Star and oh yeah, recently announced an upcoming project with partner Chris Cannon at the Setai Midtown. In the pantheon of New York's best seafood chefs Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin and Dave Pasternack of Esca are situated at the summit. But with the success of Marea, Michael White fully deserves to be mentioned in that same sentence.

Following in the success of the Northern-Italian themed Alto and the Southern-Italian themed Convivio came Marea, White's take on coastal Italian cuisine. Frankly, it takes some chutzpah to open such a grandiose restaurant on Central Park South like Marea during such a precarious time for restaurants. Fortunately, for both chef White and the rest of us, his gamble paid off with a wonderful new addition to the Manhattan dining scene.

So of virtually all the restaurants I could have chosen for my recent birthday meal, Marea was my first choice. In addition to being given three stars by the New York Times and a star by the Michelin guide in 2010, Marea offered two of the most talked about dishes of the past year: their Ricci, crostini topped with Santa Barbra Sea Urchin, Lardo and Sea Salt; and their Fusilli with Red Wine Braised Octopus and Bone Marrow. Needless to say I was pretty excited when MW told me she got a dinner reservation at Marea.

Giving Into the Hype: Lunch at Pulino's

For the past year, Eater, the Fox News of the New York City restaurant scene, has breathlessly reported every insignificant addition to Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria on Bowery and Houston. From the installation of the signage to the type of tile used in the bathrooms, no development was too small for Eater. OMG! LOOK AT THOSE AIR VENTS!!!

Their hype-boner is especially stiff since this is the New York debut of chef Nate Appleman, recently of San Francisco and A16 fame (and Next Iron Chef). Also restaurant heavyweight Keith McNally (of Minetta Tavern fame) is involved.  Yes, the folks at Eater have just ejaculated all over themselves and will require a very large towel and possibly a cold shower. Reservations for dinner, which started this week, will most likely be impossible unless you're "special" enough to not eat at 5:30 or 11:30. Which I'm not.

Regardless, Steve and I made our way downtown for lunch on Friday to see whether there is some substance behind this scene.

Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca

Since I've been burning the proverbial "midnight oil" at work this week words can't describe how nice it was to finally relax this weekend. I spent my Saturday at a wedding held at the grand Oheka Castle in Long Island. After a sweet ceremony my girlfriend, MW and I found our seats in the stunning dining room. It wasn't long before the conversation at the table turned to food and each couple discussed how they spent Valentine's day. I mentioned that we went to Babbo and everyone asked how I had managed to snag a reservation. I told everyone that I just arrived in person at about 9:50 a.m. on January 14th and avoided all of the busy signals and redialing. Conducting due diligence on Chowhound revealed that this method was the best way to get reservations at the popular Mario Batali restaurant. Looking around the table, I noticed the women nudge their dates as if they now possessed the key to entering Babbo...I even was told by one guest that my suggestion was the most useful information he had heard all day.